Guest Post by Tricia Raymond
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: THE IMPORTANCE OF AMERICAN HISTORY
by Tricia Raymond
I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way education in America became an end unto itself. As a matter of fact, today’s conventional wisdom assigns education as the way out of poverty, the road to self-esteem, the chance to succeed in a global economy, and the answer to America’s increasingly dismal social ills. In short, education has become something it was never meant to be – the answer to problems.
In my view, education is the means to an end – that end being a life that gives glory to God. Another way of saying this is that education provides the compass by which young people discover the right path to follow.
In order to reach this goal, the study of American history is paramount. History is the best way to learn from our mistakes so we avoid them in the future and the best place to gain inspiration from our successes so the next generation can build on them. The story of America is filled with tales of brave heroes and evil villains. More importantly, it is the story of what can be accomplished when a nation is founded on Biblical principles. The story of America is the story of hope, not because Americans are special, but because America is founded on true and lasting principles.
Today’s generation of children will be besieged with problems their parents never dreamed of. But, if, through the study of American history, they get hold of the same values their American ancestors had – the value of individual responsibility, the value of perseverance, a strong work ethic, the value of respect for every human life – if these and other values are passed on to our young through the study of our history, America’s future can once again be bright indeed.
Tricia Raymond is an author and speaker about the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. Her children’s book, America’s Story: The History of the Pledge of Allegiance, is written for grades 6 – 8 and is available at http://www.libertyaloud.com To schedule Tricia as a speaker, contact her at libertyaloud@gmail.com.
